Electric cigar lighter



July 7, 1942. A.l A. JOHNSON v 2,288,305 ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER original Filed Aug. 17, 1934 INVENTOR Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Arthur A. Johnson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Automatic Devices (Cl. ,M9-32) 9 Claims This invention relates to electric cigar lighters, and is concerned particularly with the type of cigar lighter in which the igniting unit is completely separable and removable from a holding device or base for use.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 740,266, now Patent No. 2,129,374, which is drawn to an automatic cigar lighter-the present application being limited to those constructions of the holder and removable plug which are not involved in the automatic operation of the cigar lighter as described in my copending application. l

It is an object of the present invention to construct a cigar lighter which is simple in construction, and accurate in operation.

The features of the invention disclosed in this application are applicable to any type of lighter in which the plug is movably mounted in the holder, whether it is an automatic lighter or a nonautomatic lighter.

According to the present invention, a tubular socket is provided for supporting the removable plug or igniting unit. The holder, being connected to the dashboard of the automobile, forms one terminal for the electrical circuit, A plug having a heating element thereon is adapted to be slidably received in the holder. Yieldable means are interposed between the plug and holder for normally holding the plug in a shallow open-circuit position therein while permitting the plug to be moved into a deep position in the holder for energization. l

The plug is so constructed that, in the opencircuit position, the heating element is electrically insulated from the holder and from a contact carried in the base thereof. Upon movement of the plug into deep position in the holder against the action of the yieldable means, a circuit is closed through the heating element to the holder, whereby the heating element is brought to the desired heat. Upon release of the igniting unit, the yieldable means will quickly return the unit to shallow, open-circuit position.

The yieldable means, according to the present invention, is carried by the plug and is removable therewith. The means is disposed within the outer diameter of the plug and in no way inter- Ieres with the insertion or removal of the plug from the holder.

The handle for the plug can be made of metal or any desired material, inasmuch as the heating Coil and its supporting member are secured thereto by means of an insulating sleeve.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of the cigar lighter of the present invention, showing the igniting unit supported in its normal nonenergizing position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the igniting unit in energizing position,

Fig. 3 is an end View of the igniting unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the igniting unit.

The type of cigar lighter shown in the accompanying drawing is that having a tube-like holding socket or base member I, adapted to extend through an aperture in a support, as, for example, the instrument board II of an automobile. The end of the tube I0 has threads I2, and on the portion thereof which extends beyond the instrument board II, there is provided a threaded disk I3 having a flange I4 for engaging the end of the shell I0. On the rear side of the instrument board, the threaded portion I2 carries a nut I5 which, upon being tightened, clamps the instrument board between itself and the threaded disk I3. At its rear end, the holder-tube I0 has an inwardly extending flange I6 on which is secured a disk I'I having a boss I8. The boss I8 has an insulator sleeve I9 through which extends a screw 20, the head of which holds a contact disk 2l in place within the shell I0. The contact disk 2I is insulated from the disk Il by an insulating washer 22. The outer end of the screw 20 carries nuts 23 between which a terminal 24 of a current-supply wire 25 is secured. The inner nut 23 is insulated from the end of the boss I8 by an insulating washer 26.

Thus, it will be seen that the shell ID is mechanically and electrically connected to the instrument board II which is usually connected to one side of a current-supply battery by a ground and that the contact disk 2I is insulated from the shell I0 and is normally alive, being connected with the current-supply wire 25.

As in this type of lighter, the igniting unit of the present invention, rits the shell I and is slid into the shell to be supported thereby in normal inactive position. In the form of the invention herein shown, the igniting unit or plug comprises a body portion made up of a tubular portion or sleeve 2'I threaded into a knob portion 28, either of which may be made of metal or insulating material, as desired. In the preferred form of the invention, the portion 2'I is made of nonmetallic insulating material, while the portion 28 is made of metal.

At the inner end of the body of the igniting unit, there is removably mounted a heating element 29. This comprises a plug-like portion or support member 3i] which is screw-threaded into the inner end of the tubular insulating portion 21, and mounted on the portion 3D is a resistance coil 3|, which, upon being brought to incandescence, is applied to the end of a cigar or cigarette to ignite the same. As indicated in Fig. 3, the heating coil is in the form of a ribbon spirally wound and has its inner end secured to a stud 32, While its outer end is fastened to a cupped disk or contact cup 33 and is in metallic and electrical contact therewith and secured to the portion 30 by the stud 32 but insulated therefrom. The inner end of the cupped disk 33 has a flange 34 located in alignment with a flange 35 of the contact disk 2|. Hence, when the igniting unit is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, the flange 34 engages the flange 35 and current is conducted through the part 33 to the outer end of the heating coil, and from thence through the coil to the stud 32 and plug-like portion 30 of the heating elemeint.

Normally, the portion 30 is out of electrical engagement with the shell lil, but when the igniting unit is moved from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, the periphery 36 of the portion Sii moves into contact with a tongue 31 lanced from the shell l0 and bent inwardly into position to engage it, and thus the circuit is completed through the heating element and the ground.

According to the present invention, the igniting unit and heating element are held in the position shown in Fig. 2, that is to say, in energizing position, until the coil becomes incandescent and ready for use.

The igniting unit can be manually held in closed-circuit position or can be held in said position by a latch 39 mounted on and carried by the igniting unit. As set forth in the ccpending application, the latch can be heat responsive, whereby the circuit is open when the ignitng unit is released from closed-circuit position when the heating element has attained its predetermined heat. Inasmuch as this feature is completely covered in said copending application, further discussion thereof is unnecessary.

The igniting unit is adapted to be held in shallow, open-circuit position in the tubular holder by means of a spring 40 carried by the plug and engaging a flange on a positioning member di. The positioning member has a flange 42 engaging a part of the holder so that when the plug is pushed into a deep position in the holder, the spring is compressed.

The spring fit, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is disposed within the outer diameter of the igniting unit and is placed in front of the handle with one end thereof engaging the positioning means. The positioning means is disposed so as to be movable lengthwise relative to the sleeve 2l and the supporting means Sii connected thereto to enable the unit to be moved into circuitclosing position.

With the plug in circuit-closing position, the energizing circuit for the heating element will be completed and the heating coil will be brought to the desired heat after a predetermined lapse of time. The plug is then manually released from circuit-closing position and the spring will urge the plug into open-circuit position in the holder Where it can be readily removed for use.

The spring being disposed Within the outer diameter of the plug will not interfere with the insertion of the plug into the holder.

The latches 39 will hold the plug in circuitclosing position and will yield to release the plug from this position upon a manual pull being exerted outwardly on the plug.

Variations and modications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A cigar lighter including a tubular socket member adapted to extend through a perforated panel to form one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a base contact member insulated therefrom; and a plug removably held within said socket including a handle adapted to be fully inserted into the socket, an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle, a support member threaded to the front end of said sleeve, a heater unit secured to said support member, a positioning ring having a flange for engaging said socket member to limitits forward travel and movable lengthwise relatively to said sleeve and support member, and a spring in front of said handle engaging said ring and urging the rest of the plug rearwardly in said socket, said plug contacting said base contact member as it is pushed forward against the tension of said spring.

2` A cigar lighter including a tubular socket member adapted to extend through a perforated panel to form one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a base contact insulated therefrom; and a plug removably held within said socket including a handle adapted to be fully inserted into the socket, an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle, a support member threaded to the front end of said sleeve, a heater unit secured to said support member, a positioning member having a ange for engaging said socket member to limit its forward `travel and movable lengthwise relative to said sleeve and support member, and a spring in front of said handle engaging said positioning member and urging the rest of the plug rearwardly in said socket, said plug contacting said base contact member as it is pushed forward against the tension of the spring.

3. A cigar lighter, including a tubular socket member to hold and form one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a base contact member insulated therefrom; a plug removably held within said socket, including a handle adapted to be inserted into the socket, an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle, a support member threaded to the front end of the sleeve, a heater unit secured to said support member, and having a contact cup secured thereto, the support member and contact cup of the heating element having a diameter less than the diameter of the tubular socket, whereby the circuit through the heating element is open when the plug is in shallow position; yieldable means mounted on the plug for moving the same into open-circuit position; and means on the tubular socket for engaging the support member when the plug is moved to a position wherein the contact cup engages the contact in the base to thereby close the circuit through the heating element to the tubular socket.

4. In a cigar lighter, a tubular socket member to hold and form one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a base Contact member insulated therefrom; a plug removably held with in said socket, including a handle adapted to be inserted into the socket, an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle, a support member secured to the front end of the sleeve and insulated from the holder by the sleeve in normal position in said holder, a heater unit secured to said support member and having a contact cup secured thereto, the contact cup engaging the base contact when the plug is moved to circuitclosing position; means on the tubular socket for closing a circuit through the support member when the contact cup and base contact are in engagement to thereby complete a circuit through the heating element; and yieldable means mount-- ed on the plug for moving the same into opencircuit position in the socket.

5. In a cigar lighter, a tubular holding device forming one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a contact member mounted therein and insulated therefrom; a plug removably held within said holder, including a handle adapted to be inserted into said holder, an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle, a support member threaded to the front end of the sleeve, a heater unit secured to said support member; and yieldable spring means mounted on the plug and disposed within the outer diameter thereof for moving the same into open-circuit position, the heating element being moved against the yieldable means into engagement With the contact in the holder for closing an energizing circuit thereto.

6. In a cigar lighter, a tubular holding device forming one electrical terminal for a plug member and having a contact member mounted therein and insulated therefrom; a plug removably held within said holder including a metal handle adapted to be inserted into said holder, an insulating sleeve threaded to said metal handle, a support member of conducting material threaded to the front end of the sleeve, a heater unit secured to said support member of conducting material; and yieldable spring means mounted on the plug for moving the same into opencircuit position, the heating element being moved against the yieldable means into engagement with the contact in the holder for closing an energizing circuit thereto from the contact through the heating coil and conducting support member to the holder.

7. An igniter plug adapted to be inserted in a tubular holder, comprising a handle adapted to be inserted in the socket; an insulating sleeve threaded to said handle; a support member threaded to Ithe front end of the sleeve; a heater unit secured to said support member; a positioning member slidably disposed on the plug and having an outwardly extending flange adapted to engage the holder to limit its forward travel and movable lengthwise relatively of the sleeve and support member; and a spring mounted on the plug in front of the handle and disposed within the outer diameter of the plug and engaging an inwardly extending flange on said positioning member to normally urge the rest of the plug to a predetermined position when the plug is inserted in the holder.

8. In a cigar lighter, a holding device; a removable igniting unit slidably mounted thereon comprising a main body of insulating material, a heating element, a handle portion therefor on the main body and insulated from the heating element, a contact ring surrounding the heating element, and another contact ring insulated from and between the handle and first-mentioned contact ring, both said rings being spaced radially within the surface of the removable igniting unit which is adapted to slide along the holding device, the main body of the igniting unit having a bore therethrough, and the second-mentioned ring being provided with a normally extending flange for threaded engagement with the bore of the main body of the igniting unit; and a contact on the holding device adapted to engage the second-mentioned ring only when the igniting unit is in a predetermined position on the holding device.

9. In a cigar lighter, a holding device; a removable igniting unit slidably mounted on the holding device comprising a body o insulating material, a handle, a heating element, a cupshaped member surrounding the heating element, a second cup-shaped member arranged with its bottom adjacent that of the first cupshaped member, an insulating washer between said cup-shaped members, means for centrally securing said members together, the outside of said second cup-shaped member being threaded for engagement with the body of the igniting unit; and a flange extending radially outward beyond said threaded portion and longitudinally between said threaded portion and the firstnamed cup-shaped member, said radial ange on the second-mentioned cup member termi nating radially within a surface of the igniting unit and spaced from the holding device so as to be disconnected from the holding device when the igniting unit is in a normal opemcircuit position on the holding device.

ARTHUR A. JOHNSON. 

